Board game apparatus with magnetic playing pieces positionable by chance



Feb. 11, 1969 w. RIVA 3,427,029

- BOARD GAME APPARATUS WITH MAGNETIC PLAYING PIECES BY C NOE POSITIONABLE Filed April 29, 1966 Sheet of 2 F b. 11, 1969 v w. RIVA 3. 2 30 BOARD GAME APPARATUS WITH MAGNETIC PLAYING PIECES POSITIONABLE BY CHANCE Filed April 29, 1966 She'et g of 2 Fig.4.

r 1 7 [H [m3 8 3432 Bi i /I {I III I I, I 11/ I [I III I 1 I r I II United States Patent 3,427,029 BOARD GAME APPARATUS WITH MAG- N ETIC PLAYING PIECES POSITION ABLE BY CHANCE William Riva, 15 Viale Europa, Rome, Italy Filed Apr. 29, 1966, Ser. No. 546,236

US. Cl. 273135 13 Claims Int. Cl. A63f 3/00; A63l1 33/26 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A magnetic game including a platform having openings in which a number of playing pieces, at least some of which are magnetic, may be movably disposed. The pieces are placed in a first position wherein they are restrained against movement. Upon release of the restraint, some of the pieces may change their position relative to others depending upon the polarity of the magnetic fields produced by the magnetic pieces. The pieces are identifiably marked so that a player may observe the position in which they are disposed on the platform.

This invention is concerned with the provision of game apparatus by means of which various magnetic games may be played.

The underlying idea of the game is to make use of magnetic lines of force to alter the position of playing pieces on a game board formed by a platform upon which the pieces are mounted.

According to the present invention I provide apparatus for playing a game comprising a platform, a number of openings in the platform, a number of magnetic playing pieces adapted to be mova-bly disposed in the openings in the platform, an identifiable marking or markings on the playing pieces so that a player may observe the position in which each piece is disposed on the platform, means to restrain the pieces against movement on the platform and means to free the pieces from restraint when desired so that some of the pieces may move relatively to other pieces in accordance with the polarity of the magnetic fields produced by the pieces.

Conveniently the pieces are suspended in the openings in the platform in such a way that they can, when freed from restraint, flip over (i.e. turn over about a horizontal axis through 180).

Alternatively the pieces may be supported so as to undergo an angular movement on a vertical-axis.

The means to restrain the pieces against movement may comprise a stationary base member below the platform adapted to hold the pieces against movement, the pieces being freed from restraint by upward movement of the platform relatively to the base. In another embodiment the platform may be stationary, restraint being imposed on the pieces by a member which is or part of which is movable away from the pieces to free them from restraint.

The playing pieces may be of any suitable shape, e.g. circular or square and the pieces may themselves be magnetized or the pieces may each include a bar magnet. If desired some of the pieces may be dummies in the sense that they are non-magnetic.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect reference is now directed to the accompanying drawings given by way of example and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the apparatus;

FIGURE 2 is a side view;

FIGURE 3 is a section on line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a section on line 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 showing one of the pieces in the act of flipping over;

3,427,029 Patented Feb. 11, 1969 FIGURE 6 is a plan view of a playing piece;

FIGURE 7 is a side view of a playing piece;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view showing a bar magnet mounted inside a playing piece; and

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view of a modification.

In this embodiment the base member 1 is circular and is provided with a circular upstanding flange 2 to receive a circular depending flange 3 on a platform 4. The base member 1 has a circular rim 5 outside the flange 3 and a number of openings 6 are provided in the rim 5 to accommodate playing pieces 7 when not in use.

The circular upstanding flange 2 forms a tubular extension projecting above the rim 5 and this extension is closed at the top with a number of openings 8 therein to register with openings 9 provided in the platform 4. The platform 4 is normally in a lower position with the depending flange 3 resting upon the rim 5 of the base 1 or with the platform 4 resting on the closed top of the flange 2 but if desired the platform 4 can be moved upwards so that the inner surface of the depending flange 3 slides on the outside surface of the upstanding flange 2.

In the embodiment of FIGURES 1 to 8, each of the playing pieces 7 is of any convenient shape, e.g., circular, and is provided with a central vertical projection 10 at the top and the bottom. Each playing piece 7 also has two horizontal trunnion projections 11 by means of which the pieces 7 may rest upon recessed supports 12 in the platform. The playing pieces 7 have generally flat top and bottom surfaces 13 and each surface bears an identification marking. For example one side may be black and the other white or one side may have crowns marked thereon and the other side may have anchors and so on.

Inside each playing piece 7 there is a bar magnet 14 so that if two pieces 7 are placed adjacent to one another with two N poles next to one another there is a tendency for one of the pieces 7 to flip over to bring a N pole adjacent to a S pole. Instead of having all the pieces 7 with magnets 14 some dummy pieces 7 may be provided without magnets.

When playing thegame the platform 4 may be disposed in its lower position on the base 1 and each player selects a number of pieces 7. If the pieces 7 are coloured red and white one player may be red and one white. If there are nine holes in the platform one player will start with five pieces and the other with four. The pieces 7 are alternately placed in the holes 9 until all the holes 9 are filled. In playing the game the platform 4 may be raised and then if two N poles or two S poles are close to one another one or more pieces 7 will flip over through increasing or decreasing the number of pieces 7 showing red or white as the case may be. As neither player knows how the magnets 14 are aligned, at all events at first, the movement of the pieces 7 is unpredictable. The pieces 7 cannot flip while the platform 4 is in its lower position since the vertical projection 10 at the bottom of each piece 7 extends into the corresponding hole 8 in the closed top of flange 2 in the base but as soon as the platform 4 is raised one or more of the pieces 7 may flip over.

The rules of the game may be altered as desired and in fact many different games may be played with the same pieces 7 the underlying idea in each game being to make use of the magnetic field of the magnets 14 to hold some pieces in position and to cause other pieces 7 to undergo a reversal.

In the above description it is mentioned that the pieces 7 cannot flip While the platform 4 is in its lower position owing to engagement of the projection 10 with the hole 8. In some constructions it may be that the flat part of the base 1 will hold the pieces in position while the holes 8 allow the pieces to sit properly. In other words the pieces are 'held near to the periphery and not at the centre.

In the above description of an embodiment of the invention the pieces are supported on trunnions so that the pieces can flip over on a horizontal axis. In another embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 9 the pieces are mounted in the holes 9 in such a way that the pieces do not flip over but instead rotate through a number of degrees about a vertical axis. In this embodiment half of each piece may be red and half white and the object may be to get all the pieces facing in one direction.

In FIGURE 9 the pieces 7 each have one projection which is of square section and the holes 8 in the closed top of the flange 2 are also square. So long as the parts are in the position illustrated in FIGURE 9 the pieces cannot turn but as soon as the platform 4 is raised the pieces 7 are free to move angularly in accordance with the magnetic lines of force.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for playing a game comprising,

a platform, a number of spaced openings in said platform,

a number of playing pieces adapted to be movably disposed in said openings in said platform, at least some of said playing pieces being magnetic pieces, said playing pieces being identifiably marked so that a player may observe in which of at least two visually distinguishable positions each playing piece is disposed on said platform,

means to restrain said playing pieces against movement on said platform, and

means for releasing said playing pieces from restraint,

said openings being spaced such that one of said magnetic pieces disposed in one of said openings is adapted to exert a repelling magnetic force on another of said magnetic pieces disposed in an adjacent one of said openings whenever the adjacent magnetic pieces are disposed with like poles adjacent one another, the latter magnetic piece being movable from one of said visually distinguishable positions to another of said visually distinguishable position upon release.

2. Apparatus for playing a game comprising,

a platform, a number of spaced openings in said platform,

a number of identifiably marked playing pieces adapted to be movably suspended in said openings in said platform in a first visually distinguishable position, each of said playing pieces being rotatable to an inverted and second visually distinguishable position in said openings, at least some of said playing pieces being magnetic,

means to restrain said playing pieces against rotation,

and

means for releasing said playing pieces from restraint,

said openings being spaced such that one of said magnetic pieces disposed on one of said openings is adapted to exert a repelling magnetic force on another of said magnetic pieces disposed in an adjacent one of said openings whenever the adjacent magnetic pieces are disposed with like poles adjacent one another, the latter magnetic piece being rotatable to said inverted position upon release.

. Apparatus for playing a game comprising,

a platform, a number of spaced openings in said platform,

a number of playing pieces adapted to be movably supported in said openings in said platform for rotation about a vertical axis, at least some of said playing pieces being magnetic, said playing pieces being identifiably marked so that a player may observe in which of at least two visually distinguishable positions each playing piece is disposed on said platform,

means to restrain said playing pieces against rotation,

and

means for releasing said playing pieces from restraint,

said opening being spaced such that one of said magnetic pieces disposed in one of said openings is adapted to exert a repelling magnetic force on another of said magnetic pieces disposed in an adjacent one of said openings whenever the adjacent magnetic pieces are disposed with like poles adjacent one another, the latter magnetic piece being rotatable from one of said visually distinguishable positions to another of said visually distinguishable positions upon release.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means to restrain said playing pieces against movement is a stationary base member below said platform.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said platform is mounted for upward movement relative to said stationary base member, and said playing pieces are released from restraint by upward movement of said platform.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said playing pieces are circular 7. Apparatus according to claim 1 including,

a base member on which said platform is movably mounted.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said platform includes a depending flange, and

said base member has an upstanding flange to mate with said depending flange.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said platform includes recessed supports,

each of said playing pieces having a central vertical projection at the top and bottom and two horizontal trunnion projections, said horizontal trunnion projections being adapted to rest upon said recessed supports.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said playing pieces have generally flat top and bottom surfaces, said surfaces bearing the identifiable markings.

11. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said magnetic pieces includes a bar magnet.

12. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said means to restrain said playing pieces against movement is a stationary base member below said platform,

said platform being mounted for upward movement relative to said stationary base member, and said playing pieces being released from restraint upon upward movement of said platform.

13. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said means to restrain said playing piece against movement is a stationary base member below said platform,

said platform being mounted for upward movement relative to said stationary base member, and said playing pieces being released from restraint upon the upward movement of said platform.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,295,452 9/ 1942 Deaton 273134 2,809,835 10/ 1957 Berryhill 273 X 2,970,003 1/-1961 Heath et a1. 3,235,260 2/1966 Glass et a1. 273135 X DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

